Jaguar returns to motorsport

Jaguar will return to motorsport as a manufacturer in Autumn 2016, with its own team in the third season of the FIA Formula E World Championship.

The third season of the FIA Formula E World Championship will see the British manufacturer partner with Williams Advanced Engineering for the project.

Jaguar’s entry into Formula E follows the news that Trulli has left the racing series from the 2016/17 season.

Nick Rogers, group engineering director for Jaguar Land Rover, said: “I am proud to announce Jaguar's return to racing with an entry into the innovative FIA Formula E championship. Electric vehicles will absolutely play a role in Jaguar Land Rover's future product portfolio and Formula E will give us a unique opportunity to further our development of electrification technologies. The Championship will enable us to engineer and test our advanced technologies under extreme performance conditions.

"It is my belief that over the next five years we will see more changes in the automotive world than in the last three decades. The future is about being more connected and more sustainable; electrification and lightweight technologies are becoming more important than ever as urbanisation continues to increase. Formula E has recognised and reacted to these trends and the championship's exciting and pioneering approach is the perfect fit for our brand.”

Alejandro Agag, chief executive officer for Formula E, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jaguar into Formula E. Jaguar is a brand with a rich sporting heritage and the fact that it is returning to global motorsport with Formula E is a huge endorsement of the championship and its ability to influence the development of electric cars. Jaguar brings with it a passionate fan base that will drive the popularity of the championship across the world and once again shows that Formula E is the future of motorsport.”

Jaguar Land Rover is launching its first electric road car in 2017 and will be using the electronic car race to test technologies.